Show Preview: The Wandering Bears/The Western Front – The Mill 6/15/10

I woke up today to what sounded like a machine gun rattling on the top of my used, twelve-dollar air conditioning unit above my bed. At first I thought it was a full offensive of bugs trying to enter my room, which they have done with some success this year, that were promptly getting shredded by the dusty, brown unit. But then the dim lighting in my room and the familiar sound of water being sprayed by passing cars on Dubuque Street led me to the more logical conclusion that it was raining. Bummer, right?

So I got out of bed and stretched and scratched and sat down at the trusty laptop. Sure enough, it reminded me that it was Tuesday (lay off, it’s summer) and that tonight the Mill hosts Tuesday Night Social Club featuring the Western Front and the Wandering Bears. The two bands are set to take off on a wild month long tour to the west coast, up the coast, and back. Considering that these are two of Iowa City’s staple local acts, and that they both kick ass, this is an occasion you don’t want to miss. The Wandering Bears just released their self-titled and self-released bombshell of a record in June and have been taking the world by storm ever since. This tour will undoubtedly elevate them, and the Western Front, to a new and well-deserved level of recognition. Tonight’s show is where it all starts and it will begin at Tuesday Night’s new all-ages friendly kickoff time of 7pm.

Needless to say, this news got me psyched, and after a handful of fist-pumps and exclaiming, “booyah” I decided that today is a good day… but it’s still raining. I remembered hearing some God-awful yet hilariously awesome country song called “Rain is a Good Thing” some weeks back and I searched Youtube with unnecessary fury for about ten seconds until I found the track, and it was strangely consoling. You see, the artist, Luke Bryan, makes a good point here. Rain makes corn, and corn makes whiskey, and whiskey makes his baby feel a little frisky. While there are holes in his logic (gaps in the process, etc.), I suppose rain is a good thing. And the best part is, if you go to the Mill tonight to check out the show, you can skip the whole corn part and go straight for the whiskey, all the while keeping it real corn fed with this awesome local show. Rain is a good thing, my friends. I’ll see you there.

Read John Schlotfelt’s review of The Wandering Bears in LV93
P.S. This is my first posting as a part of the Mission Creek/Little Village conglomeration and I just want to say that I am very grateful and honored to be a part of it. I have nothing but respect for both organizations and I am thrilled to be involved. OneloveIowaCity2010.